foA/Ui Ptaet ce*U%c

(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION)

P.O. Box 5135, Johannesburg
January, 1970
60 9
>
MINUTE REPORT

1. Lesson books distributed 2. Certificates recorded 3. Sent School Catalogue to

4. Requested baptism by the

Dear Christian Friends,

The painters and electricians are finally out

of the house, though we would welcome a carpenter

nearest minister.
5. liBpresslons printed

\7^

ROBERT i PHYLLIS MIllS

Sponsored by:
Webber Street Church of Christ

to finish the kitchen cupboards as Phyllis is short space to put dishes and pans, so we are able to get on with the work with less interruptions. I have been working at the reprinting of the Zulu language
lesson booklet and as soon as it is out of the way,

will start immediately on the Afrikaans, and Venda books. Some tracts are also being slipped in between Forwarding Agent: books as they do not take very long to complete, Mabel S. Hills Box 134, U. Salen, Illinois being single sheets and not books that have to be 62476 bound and assembled. We do not yet have the partition for the dark room completed, but it is usable as long as our near neighbour does not have her two porch lights switched on. I could put up a heavy curtain against them if necessary. So far, I have used it only for the photocopier, but I must
soon make \ise of it for normal photography as well.

Urbana, Illinois

We are happy to be able to report that one of our young men from the Tulisa
Park work, Freddie Enslin, a student at the Maranatha Bible College, was baptized by myself on the 21st of this month. Freddie has been having a terrific struggle with temptation just now and we earnestly ask your prayers by name for
him. Both his father and aunt are alcoholic and he has, before becoming a Christian, been involved in nearly every imaginable sin. Brother Wally Famam, one of his teachers, has been a big help to Freddy in bringing him to a better under standing of God's will for him. His aunt recently resigned as the church treasurer,

a decision that I am not going to contest, and also announced that she was no longer going to attend because another brother was a hypocrite, I think this will be worked out in time, at least, 1 pray so. We may change the place of meeting as this is one of the problems.
The Beit Street work seems to be doing well at the moment. Their Christmas program was very well attended by an overflowing crowd. We decided to have a Christmas Day service, and this was also to an almost full house. We had visitors from nearly all of the other Churches of Christ in the area as none of them were

having services. Some came about fifty miles to attend. The Tulisa Park congregation has a delegation at the evening services there every Sunday now, and sometimes almost the entire congregation attends. I appreciate their cooperation, though it
means that I can never relax and repeat the morning sermon in the other church. Perhaps that is as well.

We are preparing invitations for circulation in the Tulisa Park, South Crest areas for a Thursday evening Christian Bible Fellowship meeting in our home. We

hope that we will be able to attract the interest of a few of .these people in this

area. It may only attract present members of the church, but, we hope to be able
to interest some of our neighbours and pave the way for teaching them* We have

two or three neighbours who would probably resist formal services as they have

church contacts already, but they might be interested in something such as this.
Our very best wishes toward you all in this holiday season. God bless.
m Christ Jesus,

Robert and Pnyllis Mills

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(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION)

P.O. Box 5135, Johannesburg
MINUTE REPORT
2. Certificates recorded
3. 4.

Jan.

February, 1970 Dear Christian Friends,

1. Lesson books distributed

Sent School Catalogue to

Requested baptlsn by the
nearest minister.

37 3
13

We praise God for letters received during this month

which tell us of three of our students who have been

S.

Impressions printed 35, 250

ROBERT & PHYLLIS MILLS

Sponsored by:
Uebber Street Church of Christ

Urbana. Illinois

Forwarding Agent:
Mabel S. Mills

baptized into the Lord. Two were by brother Beme, the minister of the Soweto congregation here in Johannesburg, and the other br brother Tsatseng at Klerksdorp. These were placed into contact with the ministers through the use of the new follow-up tract which we are now getting into the vernacular as rapidly as possible. At present, we have it only in six languages.
It has been a busy month with the press, and we have two

Box 134, W. Salen. IIIIroIs

62476

books which must be assembled, stapled and trimmed to make room for others which must also be done shortly. One of these two is a new book which we have just finished preparing. At the present time, there are translations

for three more lying on my desk, and lam typing one of them in the first lay-out draft as^rapidly as there is time .JUnf ortunately,^_time is_at_pr<5iiiiunL_as the local Tulisa Park work is very demanding, and not very promising either.

The Bible Fellowship which we started in our home this month has resulted in making
a good contact with one family which has been here each time. The children are now

in Sunday School and we have hopes for the mother as the study progresses each week. One of Donna's school friends is also attending the youth meetings and Sunday School
now as well.

Brother Nelson of Kimberley, dropped in on us to stay one night during the month. Their three children were at Sr. camp that week. I gather that they had a terrific

time since they are rather cut off from other Christian young people at Kimberley.
It was a very successful camp. One young lady from the Tulisa Park area was baptized and her sister renewed her association with the church as well. Kathy's friend from the hospital where she worked, attended and she also went forward and is attending

either at Tulisa Park or Craighall, depending where she is guest for the night after
youth meeting in Saturday,

We welcomed Alvin and Vemita Nicholson and James back to Africa after their furlough. I drove them to Port Shepstone, because they were very anxious to get there and there had been a'train derailment on that route causing several days delay in route. While
I was there, I had the privilege of preaching for brother Qwemesha at the Bible Training School Sunday services.

Please continue to pray for us as there is much to be done, and it seems that time is
so short in which to do it.

Yours-^iitf Chris

1969
FINANCIAL REPORT

January 1

On Hand
From U.S.America Sale of Bibles and Books

20.44
5155.34' 46.95

Sale of printing Work

34.36
R5257.09

Postage Due Telephone

Auto and Carivan payments Balance of Loan carried from last year.

2.15 29.09 1295.02 275.00

Emergency Fund (On Deposit Separately)

Translations

1500.00
22.50

Office help
Office Rents

2.00
601.88

Petrol (gasolene)
Movers

201,85
68.00

Postage

142.75

Printing and Office Supplies

Advertisements

230.97
173.58

Books, Bibles and Map

Refund on a sale returned Post Office Box Rental

31.25
.83 5.00

Bank charges Conference expenses

3.01 11.00

Attorney (preparation of a document) Auto and Carivan licences and insurances & repairs

3.65 199.90
R4799.43

On Hand Jan 1, 1970

R457.66

To convert these figures to dollars, multiply by 1.40, the

usual exchange rate for dollars.

ttact ccMtne
(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION)
P.O. Box 5135, Johannesburg
^70
MINUTE REPORT Feb. 1. Lesson books distributed A57 2. Certificates recorded 69

Dear Christian Friends,

March, 1970

3. Sent School Catalogue to

4. Requested baptism by the. nearest minister.

3
10

5. Impressions printed 29,400

ROBERT & PHYLLIS HILLS

Early this month, we were paid a supprise visit by brother John Mamadisa of Lawley. Brother Mamadisa was one of our correspondence students whom we directed to brother Berne at his own request. Brother Berne's letter, in which he tells of his visit to Lawley, is printed on the back of
this letter. The result of his visit was that both Mr and Mrs

Sponsored by:
Webber Street Church of Christ

Mamadisa were baptized. Later in the month, brother Beme

himself came to tell me more of the visit and the wonderful

Urbana, Illinois

Forwarding Agent:
Mabel S. Mills

Box 134. W. Salen. Illinois

62476

fellowship they are enjoying with the Mamadisa family. He tells me that when he was baptized, John threw away his tobacco and that he has not smoked or drunk liquor since. We were certainly well impressed with his visit.
he hopes will go to the Minister's the month. The man seems jg&ryL

Brother Mtshayisa also brought a friend Training School wi^ him to see me later in sincere, but as he is married with a family as well as teaching school, it is not going school. We pray that the Lord will open the

to support, and is preaching regularly to be easy for him to go away to

way for him.

While he was here, I asked brother Mtshayisa to please check over the first half of the Zulu translation of one of the books that I was typing in the first
draft. We have since finished it as well as the Xhosa translation and he will

look them over and pen in corrections before we start the final, justified, draft. This is the one in which the right hand margin is lined up and is the one we photograph for the preparation of the actual printing plates. We are also ready to
start typing this copy of the Afrikaans translation.

One project this month was the printing of a great pile of certificates

which we will take to the ministers and committee meeting in Kimberley the week
before Easter. We completely ran out of these at conference time and some of the
men have been asking for them.

As our stock shelves were empty, we also re-printed the Xhosa and Tswana

versions of one of our lesson books during the month. The English copies are going very fast and will have to be done very shortly. More lesson books were istributed during this month, you may have noticed, than we have ever distributed
in any one month before. We are thrilled at this. We also issued more certificates
for properly completed lessons than ever before in one month. The number of both

of these would have been larger if we had made the trip to the Post Office on Saturday rather than waiting till Monday, which fell in another month, but I dread

down-town Johannesburg on Saturday morningI If ever there was caos, that is it,
and parking is unhead of, especially when it is also the end of the month.
Service,

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(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION)
P.O. Box 5135, Johannesburg
HINUTE REPORT Mar. 1. Lesson books distributed 537

Am?B
Dear Christian Friends,

April, 1970

2. Certificates recorded

95

3. Sent School Catalogue to 4. Requested baptlsn by the

. nearest minister.

12

S. Inpresslons printed 27500

ROBERT a PHYLLIS MILLS

Sponsored by:
Webber Street Church of Christ Urbana, Illinois

Every now and again we receive a letter we enjoy so much that we feel you would also appreciate reading it. The one on the reverse of this letter is juist such a letter. It is from an European (white) widow of Capetown. Of course, she has been sent the second of our series of lesson books automatically on the comr pletion of this one.

Forwarding Agent:
Mabel S. Mills 62476

Box 134. H. Salon. Illinois

The Tswana translation of another of our books is in hand, having arrived yesterday. Unfortunately the pressure of the local work is such that we are making painfully slow progress with getting these translations into print, and, they are vitally needed. Phyllis helps with the more routine typing as it is. Unfortunately, this is not

the kind of typing we can hire done for us, as first rate typist are not only
expensive, but they are totally uninterested in doing Bantu language typing. I
must do it myself . ~ ^ ~

We broke our previous month's record of lesson books posted by nearly a hundred
new addresses, and the number to complete their books this montK^is also a record with almost a hundred certificates being issued.

I was away a few days for the Bantu minister's meeting and the conference planning

committee meeting at Kimberley. It was an excellent trip though I was only able
to be away three days. Even so, we had a great pile of lessons to be sent out when I returned to the desk again, and another to be corrected and marked before

we could issue certificates. I really dread.for anything to take me away from

the office for more than a day or two at a time because of the extra work to catch

up with the mail again. We placed an additional advertisement with DRUM magazine this month and we expect it to, if anything, make this problem even more critical*

Our two eldest daughters, C^thryr^^d Ruth Me both looking forward to their enrollment at St_Louls_jairx^ti^aiLc<511e^e-l^^September, the Lord willing. As this wi11^ entai1 a great deal of additional expenses for their travel costs to
America and school fees, we would welcome any designated offerings for these
purposes you may care to make. Be sure to designate if it is for travel or fees, and if you should happen to send for their personal use at school after the first of September, it should be sent directly to them in care of the school. We would

Bible^Trainin*'^^^

prefer any such offerings be equally shared between the girls. Both girls are presently completing a full course at a Secretarial Training College in Johannesburg,

least partially, sup^^^^^elves, in thei

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(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION)
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mtii^r z:i>

P.O. Box 5135, Johannesburg

MINUTE REPORT April

1. Lesson books distributed 687
2. Certificates recorded 131

May, 1970

3. Sent School Catalogue to

10
24

Dear Christian Friends,

4. MQuitd baptIsM by tfi<

MarBt alflUter.

5. Itnpresslons printad 27506

ROBERT h PHYLLIS MILLS

Last month's new record figures were well enough laid to rest this month when the demand for the corresponde
nce lessons took another leap. We distributed, not a hundred more books than last month, but 150! One hundred and thirty one certificates were issued, and two dozen students asked for follow-up contact with a church to

Sponsored by;
Webber Street Church of Christ Urbana, Illinois

Forwarding Agent;
Mabel S. Mills

be made. We praise God for His wonderful blessing of the

work.

Box 134. W. Salem, Illinois

62476

We managed to get two of the translations into print. These were the number 2 book in Shangaan and the number 3 book in Sotho. This makes eighteen books in print, but there are now eight sets of translation waiting attention on the desk so we are not making all that rapid gains. Eight further translations are still needed to round out the series in the languages now stocked as well, plus the fact that we have a heavy demand for one language in particular, and in which we do not have any of the four books at all now. This totals up to 20 new books which are still needed to be able to supply almost all requests. Even then there would be the occasional request we would have to
send a substitute language.

We were quite pleased with this new advert layout which

came out in DRUM magazine this week. The editors used

the illustration we had provided but re-set the typed

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portion in more attractive style. Already, we have had

a number of letters enclosing this clipping and asking

for lessons. I would not be supprised if this was not another record breaking month, the Lord blessing.

Park (white) work, with which we have been working is

The Youth Work and Sunday School of the local Tulisa

CAQPPI TDA^^T
P.O. Bei 8135, leliMnctburf.

making very satisfactory progress just now. We would ask your prayers that the Lord will open the way to a
more satisfactory place of meeting for it,

GOSPEL TRACT inAOl

CENTRE

p.o. bo biss,

^ ^rv^ci^
Robert and

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langwe*

Mills

t'MCC ceHtw
(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION) P.O. Box 5135, Johannesburg
MIWITE REPORT
2. CertlflcatM recorded

Mav

Jiine, 1970

1. Lesson books distributed 1m

i24
..

Dear Christian Friends,

3. Sent School Catalogue to 4. Requested baptlsa by the

As you can see, nearly twelve hundred correspondence study lesson workbooks were distributed, along with an average of five tracts with each mailing. Additionally, there were ROBERT ft PHYLLIS MILLS hundreds of tracts posted to people requesting more for Sponsored by: distribution to their friends. A casual glance at the Webber Street Church of Christ addresses recorded this month will reveal that they represent Urbane. Illinois a very wide swath through Africa. They were sent from Ghana, ForMrdIng Agent: Zambia, Rhodesia, Botswana, South West Africa, Swaziland, Kabel S. Mills Lesotho, Mocambique, Malawi and South Africa. They represent Box 134. U. SaleM. Illinois 62476 every race imaginable. I have noted Chinese, whites of at least three languages, Indians, and naturally Africans of many tribes and languages. There are three virtual religious revivals going on even now. One is behind prison walls where many inmates have_asked to study and__also^for_the^/a<idrefls_^of^the church so that they may be baptized when they are released. A second similar movement seems to have started at Vendaland Institute, an African University, and a third at a high school in Northern Transvaal. In fact this month alone, forty people have asked whete they may contact the church that they might be baptized.

nearest rtnlster.

40

We praise the Lord for His wonderful blessings this monthl

5. Inpresslons printed 56,776

One of these was Mr J.J.F. Meyer of Efmelo. Mr Meyer is an Afrikaans and Zulu speaking white South African. He is the minister of a small independent African church. He has an African evangelist, and they serve three African congregations and are new starting a fourth. He was impressed by our position and wrote that he wished to meet some of us in person, so brother Wally Farnam, brother Tjaard Coetzee and I drove to Ermelo one Saturday. We had to wait until we could take Tjaard as he is Afrikaans speaking. We were supprised to find an already thoroughly convicted man whom when we asked if he had any questions, replied " No, none at all. After doing the second lesson book, all my questions have been answered and I am ready to be baptized. "

A date was set for his baptism, which has yet to take place,as he has an |njury and his Dr. has forbidden that the bandages be removed and has put him to bed for some
weeks. He has been very ill from this. We pray for him. He also asked about his African converts and promised to start weekly comminion services and to see to their baptism in a Scriptural manner. Most had already been immersed, though he had not previously been insistent upon this. We believe that the end result of this
contact may well be a self supporting white South African missionary and several hundred African converts in an area where we have had no previous contact at all.

Knowing the price charged for printing and the amount of printing we do, we were asked this month if our printing work did not pretty well support the work. We are registered here as a Mission-Press which means that we are not permitted to accept

outside printing work for pay. As our printing is almost entirely in the form of correspondence-lesson-workbooks and tracts which are distributed free, it brings in no money at all. In fact, it is here that we budget most of our working funds. We are completely dependant upon the offerings and gifts of various interested people

in America, whom the Lord motivates to "publidh His word". Luke 9:60, (A.S. version^

convinced that if Africa is to be saved in these troublesome days, or for that matter the world, in a broader sense, it is going to be through the ^siye distribution of the printed word. When we neglect the use of the printed word in conjunction with a dedicated National ministry, we neglect the greatest

contribution that we as missionaries can make to the Lord's wLk? ThM it we

directly into the hands of the prospect in his own language.

irjiT

u barrier of a white leisure. In a one stroke, we canwe overcome the face and foreign accent, leave sraaething

Se

of have nine penetrated languages and without mountain a trace of predujice, nor choice could we forbidding passes. incl'^ding Portugal Africa's Catholic barriers, into rLote

="elve hundred

for hI word ?rgo

whL
MinSd^in^f? b^t Satfli T

'^e way
correspondence workbooks could be reprinted. It has been one of our most busy months
is "is si:roKes, so
'hr^st Jesus,

pleass keep us ever in your prayers.

r greatest, ^ by ill health. Satan will considerably at mid-month pressure was the get in his str^ so

Mills

Tr a cT

tiatt eentw
(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION)
to ffcow

appmvcJ mxuMi.'

P.O. Box 5135 Johannesburg

\|Jtie>y2:l>

PHYLLIS opens our mail, deciphers the handwriting, and types up the master mailing list. From this list, she then prepares the mailing envelopes, indicating on each the
student's serial number and choice

of language.

FOLLOW-UP on the many students who

ask the address of the nearest

Church of Christ usually requires

a "climb-up" and search for the

village where they live. They are

then sent the address of the nearest minister and he is sent their address
as well.

TYPESETTING in Bantu languages is a slow and exhausting task as it is a letter-by-letter job involving a double typing of the entire text in order to justify (align) the margins.

tiact cc*ttn^
(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION)
fn,

P.O. Box 5135, Johannesburg

MINUTE REPORT

1. LessonTookT'dinrlbutedTS^
2. Certificates recorded 254

July, 1970

3. s.t SdiMl Catalogue to

4. Reipiested baptism by the
nearest Minister.

13

Christian Friends,
Brother Pete Jones is planning a visit to Natal this

5. Inpresslons printed
ROBERT a PHYLLIS HILLS

49^600

month, and as he offered to contact any of our students

along the way that were asking for follow up, we gave him about 25 names and addresses Nearly twenty of these
were prisoners at Utrecht, Natal. We shall be anxious to hear the results of his trip when he returns.

Sponsored by:
Webber Street Church of Christ Urbana, Illinois

Fomardlng Agent:
Mabel S. Mills

I had personally expected a leveling off in the nunfcer of

Box 134, U. Salen. Illinois

62476

advice that we must slow down and take a holiday, and the like, but what can we do other, than work on when the people continue to write in for

people requesting correspondence lessons by this time, but again we set a new record. We went way over 15 hundred. Several of our friends have started to give well meaning

correspondence studies to help them learn the Lord's will for them? It is not at all

unusual^ for my office day to stretch up to twelve hours or m9re at a time, in order

days. Preparation of new translations is virtually impossible these days as there is no time. Our very definite prayer need at the moment is that He will provide the
clerical staff needed to handle the work at hand. We know that He both can and will.

materials printed up for distribution. The^use up massive quanities of material these

to be ^bte to get the mail outy to mark: papers and record the results, Tnd~^to^^ep

One rude shock came to us this month, when the postage for printed matter was very sharply increased, almost without warning. We had been paying Ij cents per item, now

"^you in America cheaper than we can mail it next door, should we want to. This will
make a dragri^ rhaTipo ^Mgeting, but there is nothing we can do about it.

it is to be 2j cents each. It is now an odd fact that we can mail our news letter to

((Jheinterestingfigure which comes outof our recentrecords, is thatwehave now

to eight hundred letters I

moved to Capetown now, and I am planning to fly down. It will be very costly, but I siiiq)ly can not spare the time to drive, nor do I feel up to the trip. I would plan on three days each direction if I were to drive and it would take up to two weeks with conference as well. Two weeks away from the office would mean an accumulation of up

his African work and for the dates of conference, etc. Conference seems to have been

and hopes to be baptized soon. He has written me to ask a number of questions about

Our friend Mr Meyer of Ermelo, is rapidly recovering from his serious illness

printed enough correspondence lesson books so that one in every thousand people of
South Africa could have had one personally, and enough tracts that there are three we will have passed the mark of one book for each 500 people. We now
have nearly 20.000 addresses on file.
Jesus,
Robert

for every ten people. At the present rate of distribution, by the end of this term

Mills

tidct eentte
(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION)
P.O. Box 513S, Johannesburg
MINUTE REPORT

August

August/September
'nil

1. Lesson books distributed 1 A52

2. Certificates recorded

2187 320
59

3. Sent School Catalogue to 4. Requested baptism by the nearest minister.

(\L
113

(pending)
85,000

5. Impressions printed

67. OOP

ROBERT & PHYLLIS MILLS

Dear Christian Friends,

Sponsored by:
Webber Street Church of Christ

Urbana, Illinois

Forwarding Agent:
Mabel S. Mills

We found it necessary to skip last month's news letter. The first reason could probably only happen outside of America. The factory ran out
of envelopes but retained our order with the

promise to fill it next week when they made that 62476 size again. They kept us dangling nearly a month while the work piled up on us. We eventually found a substitute envelope for the lessons so we could do them, but it was too late to do anything about the news letter by that time. Secondly, there was just no time. In fact there is no time yet, really. You will notice a phenominal leap in demand
Box 134, U. Salem. Illinois

for lessons, alijug-with^a similar^ leap-in^booksto be-markedr-and-eertificates sent.

At the same time, there is also a greatly increased printing schedule. We printed a thousand English lesson books a month ago, for example, and they are already gone and must urgently be re-printed. Preparation of newly translated books is at a
complete standstill even though we have translations on hand. Much time is needed to

set up this material in boojc form for the camera, and we just do not have it these days. We find we can barely cope with the daily mail load. Please pray for us that the Lord will send secretarial help now. This is an urgent need. Phyllis and I can not hope to cope with two thousand new applicants and the resulting other increases very long without health problems. The recent illness and hospitalization of one of

oiir co-missionaries, has pointed this out. My present working day ranges from 7:00
a.m. until nearly 9:00 p.m. most days, plus a heavy week end schedule with two
small congregations.

Any Christian ladies wishing to consider this work for the Lord, may contact us by airmail, listing age, qualifications, and experience, and enclosing a letter of Christian recommendation from the minister and elders of their home congregation in the first letter. As considerable typing is involved, we would appreciate it if the
letter is personally typed. Experienced secretarial help in South Africa is scarce

and demands about $300 a month salary. We suggest that applicants, unless financially
independent, ask this amount as Living Link salary plus about $600. for air tickets. Kathryn and Ruth finished their Secretarial Training here last month and worked very hard in the office during the few days they had before they left for America
and Bible College. They have written of their safe arrival in St Louis and have now

started school again. We pray for them, especially, that they will find employment in order to pay their board at school and for next term's fees altogether, as we have

used our personal savings to cope with the first term costs.
from any of you at the school.

They will be happy to hear

2 -

We were delighted this month to be able to baptize brother Edwin Engelbrecht, one of our promising young men in the local Tulisa Park work. Edwin is very talented musically and is a great help in many ways. We are starting a class of leadership training this week and hope that he will be one of those taking part. He is busy too, however, as he is starting college this week as well in classes connected with his diesel mechanics apprenticeship, so it will not
be easy for him.

^urches whatever up there in the hundreds of square miles north of Pretoria. This IS to be the homeland area of many tribes and we passed huge cities of people, but all of them inaccessible to me as they were African areas. I had Ho this, w' European towns to meet in, me. and We he found couldfor not do but one man did come about twenty miles was most prepared enquiry and searching for water in this drought stricken
<=he Ethiopians cry, "See here is water, what

many students up that way and to arrange for their baptism, since we have no

I made a trip to the north of the country to attempt to follow up some of our

trirfe^r r baptized?" We finally found a small stream which had a small K 1twenty miles from the town and Simon was able Even then he only had ^ a small dam had to been thrown across the stream. tobecause roll his trouser legs keep from getting himself
After this trip, I came home and began to devise a new means of followup on this outreach program. We now have two immersed teachers in the area, one letter came

blf'

beOne able toalready use them in getting thepreaching ball rolling, the Lordthe plans. has agreed to start points under supervision and advice of the local African minister here. ^

Africa ^whLh 'he seeming awakening of interest in South West service Africa. In the Both last mrath, we t have added at least twenty five students to the in roll from there

Hn study . ofan all the leaders of sent theirus congregations s^thH tSy can too. addresses In one case African "bishop" the addresses of most of foSS1orHirw"k ie;e"'
Yoi^i^isSraice,

and CoJourfHinist^s are

Rol)erf a^^fi^llis Mills

ce*it%c
(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION)
2
MINUTE REPORT

P.O. Box 5135, Johannesburg

crc J . 1370
October

1. Lesson books distributed 2. Certificates recorded

3. Sent School Catalogue to 4. Requested baptism by the

nearest minister.

35
155

Dear Christian Friends,

5. Iin)ressions printed

79,257

We knew you would be interested in a summary of the minute

ROBERT h PHYLLIS HILLS

which gives this suimary along with some over-all figures

It is impossible ta really appreciate fourteen thousand

report for the full year, so we have enclosed the blue card

Sponsored by:
Webber Street Church of CffrTst
Urbana, Illinois

as compared with this year's South African Census reports.

Forwarding Agent:
Kabel S. Hills

booklets unless you have personally had a hand in printing, assembling, finishing, and finally addressing and mailing
them out. Even nineteen hundred certificates does not mean much unless you have personally checked and marked each

Box 134, W. Salem. ininols

62476

be enough. Next year, we expect these figures to be more than twice this year's, and we pray that we shall have a number of preaching points in outlying areas where the African people are being concentrated, the Lord providing.

booklet first. It is this first hand knowledge which urges us to ask. Please, pray for us that God willsend help for the office." We need at least two ladiesfull time in order to fully serve the demand, if indeed, that will

what we really need here at any price, let alone one we can afford.

alone now requires nearly a third of the present working budget, and some of our equipment absolutely must be replaced immediately, while new items must be purchased because of larger volumes of work at hand. The stapling of several thousand books a month has completely worn out our sturdy stapler, and a replacement strong enough for the work will cost $125. We can not operate without it. A collating machine is also now virtually a must.As necessity is the mother of invention, I am working on an electrically powered "lazy Susan" arrangement to fill the gap. I have not even seen

We urgently need funds as well as workers as costs are constantly rising. Postage

This was conference month again, and, while I was away the few days, ! flew to" save precious time, since conference was in Cape Town nearly a thousand miles away, the work
each. In fact one good day's mail could deplete the supply of at least two of them. The tract rack still looks like a toothless ten year old.

tracts, but a third book has been out of print some days and I have a stockpile of envelopes waiting its re-printing , four more are all well below a hundred copies

naturally slipped behind. I have printed two books since I returned and mountains of

I really enjoyed conference this year. It was the first year 1 have been there that I did not have a sermon to deliver, but this year more emphasis was placed on classes and workshops and these required less teachers. Since I had not expected to be there

which was taken in during the last day in silver and which had to be brought back to

the full time, I was not asked to take anything other than the treasure's work. I was relieved to have the treasurer's report accepted without any hesitation whatever. There was not even one question. My biggest problem was the offering money, some of

Johannesburg for banking since it was too late to find a bank open. I carried it in my luggage, but it looked for a while like I might be boarding the plane with a large bag of silver on my lap. I solved this by paying all accounts in silver
and copper. Brother Zimnerman had the problem thenl Kathy and Ruth are busy with their work at St Louis Christian College, though it appears now that because of homesickness, a serious shortage of funds, and our need for her in the office immediately, we may be bringing Ruth back after the Christmas holidays. She will work a while and will help us in the office, then later when it is possible, we hope to be able to send her to the new Bible College in Salisbury, Rhodesia. There she will have no problem finding work and we feel that the Lord will lead her friend, Edwin, also to enroll. By that time he will have completed his apprenticeship and be able to leave Johannesburg.

C2iJ0

Yours in/)Christ Jesus,

Robert and Pfwllis Mills

-t R A C /

cett%e
(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION)
'Study (0 show ihvself
ved unto'tjod.

P.O. Box 5135, Johannesburg

1
Oct .

llTimoJhy 2:1 MINUTE REPORT

2. Certificates recorded

November, 1970

1. Lesson books distributed 3023

478
67

3. Sent School Catalogue to nearest minister. i

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus, Our most sincere greetings to you all in the holiday season and at the beginning of a new year of opportunity
in the Lord's work. He has been so wonderful in His

4. Requested baptism by the .q

5. Impressions printed 147 ,9(?D

ROBERT & PHYLLIS HILLS

Sponsored by:
Webber Street Church of Christ

Urbana, Illinois

blessings to us this year, and we want to thank you each one through whom He has worked for the spreading of His Gospel here in Southern Africa.

The increasing demand for our lessons required the reprint of four of our booklets this month and in Box 134, W. Salem. Illinois 62476 quanities ranging from twice to four times the amount that we used to print at a time. This accounts largely for the fact that we printed not far from 150 thousand impressions this month, and,
Mabel S. Hills

Forwarding Agent:

that we over-reached out budget by about $100. Next month demands the reprinting of several-more books and X do not- see-how -we-can poss-ibly managb within the budget again. In fact, with rising costs, and rising circulation, we require a larger fund.

The Mills Family - Johannesburg

Miss Sandy Thomas'^of Midwest Christian College, has agreed to come assist us in the
she will be able to join us as soon as she graduates from the college this school year. Our own daughter, Ruth, plans to return to Johannesburg at the end of this term and will assist until Miss Thomas can have time to arrive, the Lord willing. As you know, Ruth has already completed her Secretarial College training, so she
us that she will be able to realize her ambition and that

Sllege ^

office. Kathy will continue her work at St Louis Christian

With more than three thousand requests for lessons this month and the present month office ^ve^ have haddays little time schedule, to do anything other work in we the working behind but there is than little that
studLtr^T^fh^
to wW b
"

certificates prepared before they can be returned to the

promptly, we have additional letters to answer as

has to be done to have materials for posting, and the

"o^'L'^d" ni1auT;hfnd:^''^^'
machine we have used,

"

service the machines which they sell. The spare parts cost only lolTn. anft^r
machine. It works like new now. The

who also had spare parts for it. Very few people here also

supprised when I managed to find a supplier of the stapling

far WP bL /.r booksbeing assembled monthly now, but so I have al.!n through drafting anyone who comes near, into the assembly line. tn " tenative enquiries to see if I can hire our local African mLister extra office. If he will come, it will cost up to $28 a month win r days he works a month, but it will be a great help and more difficult He can also read our incoming mail in the Bantu languages and would speed the work. replies.

coUatiLirs^-n

^o of the original starters in our Friday evening leadership training classes have ropped by the wayside, but of the original six, four are still faithful and are ng good work on the whole. We hope that when the new materials arrive the other

"P The Wednesday f"" the Beit Strlet congregation mis should be in about two weeks time. evening prayer meeting is Lso "
B?b? Books after this one is finished. Bible P"hably return to a sLy ^ of on^ol tL
Yours in Christ Jesus,
r / / /. Robert S. Mills

(CHURCH OF CHRIST POSTAL MISSION)

P.O. Box 5135, Johannesburg
Dec./Jan. 1971

MINUTE REPORT

Dec.

1. Lesson books distributed 2. Crt1f1cites recorded

i97i
i

3. Sent School Cit4logue to

4. Requested baptlsn by the

nearest minister.

59

5. lipresslons printed 115^000

ROBERT k PHYLLIS MILLS

131,700
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,

Sponsc.'d by:
Webber Street Church of Christ

Urbana, Illinois

The Christian Service Camp season,

Christmas

season,

Torwardlng Agent:
Mabel S. Hills

and News Years are all now over here in South Africa.

Box 134. U. Sale*

62476

Illinois

Have we been busy! Phyllis taught in the Jr. Camp along with Mrs Harrington, which meant that all my office helpers were fully occupied elsewhere. I got badly behind that

week. During Christmas we stayed behind, and i^ was only

during Sr. Camp week, when we were not teaching, that we managed to catch up again.
Ruth returned to South Africa at the end of Deceinber, just~in time-to go to camp

with the Sr. Campers. She was really thrilled to be chosen as girl camper of the week. In all, we had eleven young people from Tulisa Park in camp during one of the two weeks and they are all eagerly looking forward to another year the Lord
willing.

It appears now that Ruth will not as we had planned oweing to their us. We can hardly send her unless seek a job locally and save money

be going to Salisbury to Bible College this term not sending any information about the school to we know a few things at least. Instead she will for next year and will give me valuable help in

the office until Miss Thomas can arrive later in the year to take over that work.

Ruth has already spent some time at the typewriter.

During this year, we sent out more than 19,000 lesson books with tracts. At the present growth rate, we estimate that we will probably distribute more than 35,000
next year, the Lord willing. With this rapid growth and the spiraling costs, we have

had to do a great deal of "comer cutting" to balance the budget. We ask your continued prayer in this respect. We have also been forced to add brother Simon Mtshayisa, the
local African Minister, to the staff on a half time daily basis. I do not know how we ever managed to get along without him. He has been kept fully busy assembling the books as fast as I print them. So far, he has not come even remotely near to catching

up with the press. Some of the young Chinese Christian ladies have also lent a hand with the typing. I have given them the slips requesting tracts in bulk and envelopes while Mrs Harrington usually takes lists of addresses and envelopes so that she can type the addresses for new students. Phyllis opens the mail and does the lists, while Ruth will be doing the layout of the new material for printing once she is back into practice with the typewriter. My job is the printing and the marking of books, etc.

We rejoice with the Beit Street b r o h a v e been greatly encouraged

by the acceptance, on the part of

^loyd Stamn^^ly, now of Hdola, Za^ia, of

their call to the leadership of the Bfelt StrefiLt-Coloured Work, Brother Staan haa

juat visited u and them and has made application for viaaea to come to Johannatbtirg.
We knew that his ability to give his full tine to the leadership there will be a
great encouragement to them and we thank the Lord.

Of course his coming will also relieve us of the Sunday evening tima which we gave
to that work and this we will be able to use in some other area instead.

Jxj/^^pAst _ crUJ ^ ^ert and Phyllis

irs

Mills

FINANCIAL REPORT Jan. 1st.

On Hand From U.S.A. S.African Donations
For travel

1970

Telephone refund Sales and Printing

Rent

457.66 4178.30 329.49 10.00 20.00 101.06

660.00

Gasolene Conference Camp Fees Passports P.O. Box rental Auto Licences and Insurance Auto Repairs Postage Due Mail Postage Envelopes Bank Charges Translations Advertisements

249.85 2.75 17,60 5.00 97.44 140.14 21.70 710.00 192.89 6.35 46.00 509.50

Supplies for printing

Bibles Display Slides

852.60
1,46 2.50

Equipment
Office Insurance Office Help Telephone Connection Fees

15,50
16.66 51.37 20.00

Travel (Air tickets, self and daughters) 1464.90

5096.51 5084.21

5084.21 Jan. 1st. 1971 On Hand 12.30

All above figures are in Rands. One rand equals $1.40.